This application is the national phase of international application PCT/AT98/00269 filed Nov. 3, 1988 which designated the U.S.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cutting machine including rotatably mounted cutting of shearing tools, a loading ramp and a hauling means extending in the direction towards the mine face for receiving and hauling the cut of sheared material, in which the cutting or shearing tools are mounted on a slide which is displaceable on guides extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine.
2. The Prior Art
DE-A1 40 18 154 describes a cutting machine in which the entire machine frame of an advance working machine is designed to be displaceable relative to the track-laying gear. The guiding means are arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the machine on both sides of the track-laying gear, with the guiding elements that are connected with the track-laying gear being encompassed. The entire machine frame is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the machine relative to the idle track-laying gear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,936 describes a configuration in which the slide is designed as a self-supporting box section in whose clear opening a haulage means is slidably mounted. The slide or box section in that case is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the machine along a slideway arranged above the track-laying gear. Moreover, a stationary machine frame is additionally provided, which is designed as a frame of low rigidity and connects the two track-laying gears. Yet, in the main, it is again the entire machine frame which is displaced relative to the track-laying gear, whereby all the other devices of a cutting machine are being displaced along with the machine frame.
While it has already been possible to substantially reduce the structural height in the known configurations, the free space required for a safe anchorage near the mine face still has remained relatively restricted. The invention now aims to further develop an advance working machine of the initially defined kind to the extent that, in addition to providing a particularly low structure for use in low seams, it will also be feasible to employ anchor boring and setting devices immediately behind a cutting tool, such anchor boring and setting devices allowing the whole anchor section required to be introduced in a simple manner. During the anchoring and setting of the anchors, parallel cutting operations are not to be affected in any manner whatsoever and the cutting forces are to be supported to a sufficient extent even during anchoring.
To solve this object, the cutting machine according to the invention of the initially defined kind essentially consists in that the guides are comprised of tubes or rods connected with a machine frame in the region of the track-laying gears, preferably within the track-laying gear frame, that the slide is comprised of longitudinal spars and a crossbeam for mounting the cutting or shearing tools and that the machine frame, at least in its front region adjacent the crossbeam, is designed as a box section in whose clear width the hauling means is guided in a manner displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the machine. By providing a machine frame that is designed as a box section and comprises guides in the region of the track-laying gears, a particularly stable machine frame is provided, said frame being able to receive the hauling means for hauling the sheared or extracted material at an extremely low structural height of the overall device. By the slide being slidably guided on the tubes or rods, it is feasible to arrange also the slide relatively low, enabling the cutting tools to be appropriately fixed on the slide without enlarging the structural height of the overall machine due to the slide being formed by longitudinal spars and an end-side crossbeam. Hence remains a sufficiently large free space on the machine frame behind the crossbeam which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the machine along with the slide, in which anchor boring and setting devices may be employed for a flexible use aimed at an anchorage over the total anchor section required.
The machine frame, which carries the guides for the slide in the plane of the crawlers of the track-laying gear, in an advantageous manner may comprise suitable upwardly directed mounting means, such as a mounting plate or mounting spars for arranging anchor boring and setting devices, merely on its front end facing the crossbeam, so that those anchor boring and setting devices likewise may be hinged to, or supported on, the machine frame in a low-structured manner so as to provide for a large pivoting range and hence a large working range for the anchor boring and setting devices. This is of particular importance not least because of the fact that anchors having lengths of several meters may be employed for a reliable anchorage, which anchors at an accordingly low articulation of the anchor boring and setting devices to the machine frame, can be safely introduced into the anchor boring and setting devices, and hence set, without cumbersome manipulations.
Advantageously, the configuration according to the invention is devised such that the slide and, in particular, the longitudinal spars connected with the crossbeam comprise(s) lugs at least partially encompassing the guides and is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the machine by means of at least one hydraulic cylinder piston unit that is supported on the machine frame. The displaceable slide and, in particular, the longitudinal spars connected with the crossbeam, thus, may likewise be arranged substantially in the plane of the track-laying gear, thereby further reducing the structrual height.
On account of its structure comprised of longitudinal spars and crossbeams, the slide is displaceable substantially in the plane of the track-laying gear, the appropriate free space for hauling the cut material having to be provided merely in the region near the mine face. This is feasible in a particularly simple manner by a suitable configuration of the front-side crossbeam, wherein the configuration advantageously is devised such that the crossbeam of the displaceable slide encompasses the box section of the machine frame in a portal-like manner. The lower region of the crossbeam is not necessary for the articulate connection of cutting tools such that a portal-like structure of this type provides an additional free space at a low structural height, enabling the cut material to be safely removed. Such a portal-like configuration of the crossbeam or a portal connected with the crossbeam stretches a plane which results in an L-shaped configuration of the slide in side view, an appropriate free space for actuator and control units as well as energy supply means of the cutting machine, thus, remaining in the region above the machine frame at an overall extremely low structural height.
In a particularly simple manner, the configuration according to the invention is devised such that the mounting plate or the mounting spars extend(s) substantially parallel with the portal-like crossbeam of the slide and, in the side view, enclose(s) an angle with the longitudinal axis of the machine in the direction towards the mine face of less than, or equal to, 90xc2x0. Such an inclination of the mounting plate or mounting spars enables anchors to be set as far as to near the mine face without impeding the cutting or shearing operation.
A particularly stable support of the machine during the cutting operation and hence a further enhancement of the anchor boring and setting operation may be obtained in that the machine frame comprises supporting consoles for supporting props outside the track-laying gear. The support is, thus, ensured over a large width such that a particularly stable structure having but a low structural height is achieved.
In order to further enhance the operating range of the anchor boring and setting devices, the configuration advantageously is devised such that the anchor boring and setting devices are connected with the mounting plate or mounting spars in a manner so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis substantially extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine. The advantages of the low mode of construction of the overall machine are thereby optimally utilized, since the pivot axis for the anchor boring and setting device may be arranged near the floor, thus enabling even long anchors to be safely inserted into the anchor boring and setting devices and manipulated.
A particularly efficient anchor boring and setting operation may be safeguarded if at least two anchor boring and setting devices arranged in a V-shaped manner on a common carrier are pivotably connected with the mounting plate or mounting spars of the machine frame, the common pivot axis being located on the level of a lower pivot axis of a multipart cantilever arm for cutting tools on the portal-like crossbeam of the slide, or below said pivot axis. Such an arrangement of the anchor boring and setting device and a pivot axis that is located on an accordingly low level enable the economic introduction of the total anchor section required while additionally enhancing the support of the machine frame by means of the supporting props arranged on the supporting consoles.
In order to be able to appropriately set anchors also near the mine face, the configuration advantageously is devised such that the pivot axes of the cantilever arms are arranged substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the machine and the pivot axis of the anchor boring and setting device is arranged to be downwardly inclined towards the mine face.
Haulage may be adapted to the respective requirements to the optimum degree in that the loading ramp in a manner so as to be pivotable in the height direction is connected with the hauling means which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the machine, wherein the hauling means may be accommodated in the box section of the machine frame rigidly connected with the track-laying gear at a very low overall structural height.